When You Only Want To Save Someone
by Hwikek
Summary: When one of their friends is stolen by evil, you can bet that someone is going to try to get her back.  But she knows that the odds are against her, which is why her friends decide to go along, to back her up.
1. The Initial Encounter

"So this is the world of the living?" asked a man with green eyes. "It hardly seems to be worth the trouble of sending us here."

"Patience," said another man wearing a black veil, "We're only here to observe what our lord wants."

"Indeed." The four of them stood in an open clearing, waiting.

They wouldn't have to wait very long. The person who they had come to find was on her way. A black shape darted into the clearing. She brandished a long black blade, shaped like a kitchen cleaver.

"That's her, who among us has the urge to fight?"

"I do," said the tallest of them, "I haven't had a real battle since I killed those pieces of trash who wanted to take my place." The giant screamed as it rushed towards the lone figure on the grass.

"Do you think he'll survive?" asked a woman with pink hair.

"I don't know," said the green eyed man, "But if he needs assistance, we'll give it to him."

"Soul reaper!" roared the giant, "You had better be as strong as they say, or you won't live long enough to give me some exercise!"

"Oh really?" She slashed at the monster, who caught the blade with his hand. "What?" She vanished in an instant, before slamming the blade down on the creature's head.

"OW!" he screamed, "Damn you!"

_What's going on? That attack should have split him right in half. Yet he's not even bleeding, he doesn't have a scratch on him!_

"Now it's my turn." He swung his fists at her slender form.

"Too slow," said the teenager, "You have quite a bit of spiritual pressure, but I don't think that it'll be much of a problem for me."

"SHUT UP!" A shockwave spread out from where his fists struck the ground. _I finally got her._ The giant had a grin from ear to ear.

"Looking for someone?"

SLASH

An arm plopped onto the ground. The same girl stood in front of him. Her sword was now slender and thin. She gave him an angry smile, before she charged him again. Another arm fell onto the ground beside the angry giant.

"I see that you managed to dodge that last one," said Kagura. "This one will take your head right off of your neck!" She sprinted towards her foe. His body barely seemed to move as she slashed with her sword, which stopped.

_What?_

A white face with green eyes blocked Tensa Zangetsu, with only its hand. The creature had no expression on its face, except perhaps, pity. Kagura jumped back from the new foe. She was unsure of what to do next.

"_Why not let me give it a try?_"

_I don't need your help, thank you._

"_Oh come on Kagura_," said the voice in her head, "_You like to win, I like to win. We both just want the same thing._"

_Go away_, she thought.

"_What if I want to stay?_" Kagura noticed that a black shape was slowly coming out of the corner of her eye. Or to be more accurate, the corner of her eye was turning black.

_What are you doing to me?_

"_Only what I've wanted to do to you for a very long time_."

"Excuse me," said the man with green eyes, "Are you just going to stand there? If that's the case then it will be very easy to dispose of you."

"Who the hell are you people?"

"I'm afraid that you are mistaken," said the man, "We're not human. Couldn't you tell from our spiritual pressure? Have you ever felt a human with energy so strong that you could barely stand?"

"I'll take care of her," said the pink haired woman, "It won't take me very long."

"Is that what you think?" asked Kagura, "Because I don't care what you are, I'll crush each and every one of you!"

"Shut up." The pink haired woman materialized in front of her.

"_Let me help you_." The woman smashed her right arm into Kagura's face. The girl retaliated with a slash. "_You know that I can beat her._"

_Shut up._ _I'm in the middle of something!_

"_I can beat her Kagura_," said the voice, "_You know that I can._"

_I said shut up._

Kagura was slammed into a tree by the pink haired woman. She could feel her bones creaking under the force of her opponent's hand. _I need to end this now_. Black and red light erupted upwards from the forest.

"Nice try," said the woman, "You almost got me there." Her fist shoved Kagura up into the sky. Blood dripped from the girl's mouth. The pink haired woman grabbed her by the shoulders. "It was fun while it lasted." She then screamed.

"I thought that you were a little tougher than that Kagura."

The girl looked up to see her old mentor, Minamo Kurosawa. The gym teacher ripped the woman off of Kagura. With a swing of her sword she knocked their enemy into the ground.

The man with green eyes looked up at them. Another shape appeared beside them. The three slowly descended. _Tsk, tsk_, he thought, _such an inconvenience._ He turned towards the man behind him.

"I think our lord will be happy with the information we have gathered today. Come on everyone." The man turned his head. "Are you just going to lie on the ground all day Celosa?" The pink haired woman appeared by his side. "Now carry these." The man gestured to a pair of arms that lay on the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Minamo.

"You of all soul reapers should know better," said the white faced man. "Even with the three of you against the four of us the odds are still not entirely in your favor. Former soul reaper Captain Minamo Kurosawa, and the lieutenant of squad two, the second in charge of the punishment force. Both of you are well known in Hueco Mundo for your strength. But at least we've learned what we wanted to know," said the white faced man. "Your friend Kagura, is simply trash."

A strange gateway appeared in front of the white faced man. The strange beings walked through it. He looked back with his green eyes. Kagura saw that same look of pity, as the gateway closed.

"Sakaki," said Kagura, "You're the second in command of the punishment force?"

"Yes," said the woman, "I was assigned to the squad shortly after you entered the Soul Society for the first time. It helped to…refine my techniques."

"Who were those guys?" asked Kagura, "I tore the first one to shreds but the other two I couldn't even cut!"

"They were hollows that have been given the powers of soul reapers," said Kurosawa, "They are called Arrancar and they are more powerful than any hollow you have ever faced."

"Hollows with soul reaper powers?" asked Kagura.

"We believe that they were created by someone," said Kurosawa.

Kagura felt her skin instantly chill. There was only one person who she knew of that could have done something like that. The same person who had betrayed the Soul Society, and nearly killed her in the process.

"You mean…."

"Yes," said Minamo, "We believe that the Arrancar were created by Nguvu Bastante. But we do not know why."


	2. Kidnapped

Kagura walked down the cold sidewalk. Her encounter with the Arrancar had given her a new fear. Her inner hollow was growing, becoming stronger. How long would it be until it took over? A year, a week, a day? All she knew for certain was that when it took over, no one would be safe.

"Hi Kagura."

A man stood behind her. His black hair contrasted with his pale features. He gave her a friendly smile, but there was something that she didn't like about him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I heard about your problem," said the man.

"What problem?"

"That your inner hollow is becoming stronger," said the man.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My name is Satoshi," said the man, "And I can help you with your problem. I went through the same thing when I was younger."

"Who are you?"

"Satoshi. But my help has a catch," he gave her a smile, "If you don't want to do it, your inner hollow _will_ take over your body. However my friends and I can teach you how to control your inner hollow, and use its powers effectively."

"I don't know who you are," said Kagura, "But I'm not listening to a word you say."

"Can you hear it speaking to you yet?" asked Satoshi, "When that happens it means your inner hollow has finally grown stronger enough to completely take over your mind. And the look on your face tells me that you can hear it talking to you sometimes. If you change your mind, I'll see you at school."

"School?"

"Didn't I tell you?" said Satoshi, "I'm transferring into your class. It'll be fun." The man walked away.

Kagura lay on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She thought about what the man had told her earlier today. _How did he know?_ She could see Satoshi's face. _How did he know that I could hear it?_

"_How could he not know Kagura?_"

She saw herself sitting on the windowsill. Except her skin was completely white, and her eyes were black. Only yellow pupils broke up the blackness of its eyes.

"_You can see me sitting here right?_"

"Damn you," said Kagura, "Why won't you just go away?"

"_Ha ha ha._ _Now why on Earth would I do that?_"

"I'll never let you win," said Kagura, "You'll never take control!"

"_Shut up_," said the hollow, "_We both know that you can't live up to those words._"

"GO AWAY!"

The window shattered into a thousand pieces. Kagura' mouth dropped as the person got up off of the floor. The black haired girl gave her a smile.

"Hi Kagura!" said Kaorin.

"What the hell was that for?" Kagura was infuriated by the hole in her window. "Jesus, you could have knocked or something!"

"Quiet," the black robed girl placed a hand on the hilt of her zanpakutō.

"You wanna fight or something?"

"I said be quiet. Do you feel that spiritual pressure?" asked Kaorin.

"Yeah." A blue light surrounded Kagura. She left her body on her bed as the two of them hopped out the hole in the window. Under the moonlight Kagura saw someone hovering above them. It was Satoshi, smiling at them in the darkness.

"Who are you?" asked Kaorin.

"You don't recognize me?" asked the man, "Oh well. I guess it isn't that important. Especially since we've never met before."

"What are you doing here Satoshi?"

"Just thought I'd drop by," he said, "Since something is stirring nearby."

"That's what I noticed before," said Kaorin, "I just don't know what it is, it feels like a hollow."

"It feels kinda familiar," said Kagura, "I know that I've felt it before."

"You don't think that they're Arrancar do you?" asked Kaorin.

"I'm certain that they are," said Satoshi, "But I'm only here to ask a question."

"Well the answer is still no," said Kagura.

Satoshi shook his head. His smile transitioned into a mild frown. He shrugged his shoulders, before walking away.

"Where are you going?" asked Kagura.

"You said no, I just thought that I'd believe you." Satoshi looked back at the two of them. "You might want to deal with those Arrancar," he said, "They're definitely here for something."

"Do you mind telling us what?"

"Sorry Kagura," said Satoshi, "I don't know what they're here for. Toodles!"

"Who was that?" asked Kaorin.

"I don't know," Kagura and Kaorin moved towards the strange energy, "I also don't care."

_They must be close_, thought Kaorin, _the spiritual pressure that I'm feeling is incredible! It's almost as great as one of the captains'._

Up ahead one of their enemies grinned from ear to ear as he felt the two of them approach. The twelve Arrancar knew that this would be a tough fight. The two foes were among the most well known in Hueco Mundo for the number of hollows they had killed. Yet the creatures felt no need to avenge their fallen brethren. To the Arrancar, regular hollows were simply lunch.

"There they are," said Kaorin, "But there's so many of them."

"Relax," said Kagura, "That just means we have to do a little extra work." The cocky girl felt something slam into her chest. It was the same feeling she had felt when first encountering the Arrancar. A familiar face poked out at her from the mass of faces. The pink hair and red eyes, the same face full of envy. It made Kagura shiver.

"Well well," said Celosa, "It seems to me that we have an old friend here. You all know what to do. So get to work."

Two of the Arrancar drifted towards Kagura and Kaorin; as the rest of them vanished.

"Do you know what we are soul reaper?"

"A pain in the ass." Kagura's sword erupted into a red and black light. The thick blade of Zangetsu thinned. Its length grew ever so slightly, above it sat a black handguard, rectangular in shape. "You two had better hope that you can fight." The brown haired girl's face tightened. "Because you'll only get one chance to destroy me."

"That's all we'll need."

Kaorin reached for her zanpakutō. But Kagura raised her arm. The human shook her head.

"Stay back."

"You don't trust me to back you up anymore?" asked Kaorin.

Kagura vanished as the two Arrancar fell to the ground. The skeletal creatures sprayed blood into the air, dying with confused cries. Kaorin rolled her eyes.

"Show off. She's not my babysitter, I can take care of myself," said Kaorin as the black haired woman vanished into the night.

"Ahhh!"

A section of wall crumbled turning into a cloud of dust. Chiyo ran from the cloud screaming with terror. The dark hallway in front of her bringing new fears. The young girl ran as fast her legs could carry her, but her pursuer was growing bored with his chase. The skull like face of the monster frowned as it took step after step towards the sobbing girl.

"Why do you keep running?" it asked, "You know that I'll catch you, no matter where you run off to."

The child continued to sob as the spirit came down the hallway. Its slow casual gait increased her fright. The light that reflected off of its face and white clothes seemed like the blade of an axe, brought down to end the life of someone without any grace of elegance; treating them as if they were the shells of nuts tossed into a field.

_Where are my friends?_ The monster was much closer now. _They said that we'd always be together. Now when I need them most…why aren't they here?_ The girl began to cry again as the monster stopped in front of her giving her a disdainful growl.

"Where are they?" asked Chiyo.

"Sorry I was a little late." The young girl looked up to see the black uniform. The eyes, the pale face, it was Kaorin. The woman gave her a reassuring smile. "I said we'd always be there right?"

"A soul reaper?" asked the beast, "How annoying. What's that thing in your hands, a piece of rebar? Are you going to bash me with that stick?"

"First of all it's a staff," said Kaorin, "And secondly this is my zanpakutō."

"There isn't even a point on it," said the Arrancar, "How dangerous could it possibly be?"

A gust of air shoved the Arrancar backwards where it was shoved through the wall. The creature watched as his enemy emerged form the hole. She seemed to somewhat disappointed. Disappointed in the strength of her foe. But he didn't have very long to feel offended as his body disintegrated within a whirlwind.

"You'll be fine," Kaorin told Chiyo. The young girl relaxed as a face appeared behind her. Hands shot out grabbing the girl from behind. The red eyes seemed to smile as a sword was pressed against the child's throat.

"Don't move or this girl will die."

"Who are you?"

"One of the most powerful beings in the entire universe," said Celosa. "Now back down."

Kaorin's zanpakutō changed its shape, turning back into a blade. She sheathed the weapon, which then hung limply at her side. The monster smiled, before vanishing into the darkness. Kaorin felt weak as she hovered above the Mihama house. _How could I fail her so easily?_ When she had been challenged by the Arrancar, she had given up. _Could I have made it? Could I have blocked the sword before it slit her throat?_ In the back of her mind Kaorin knew that it had been her only option. But now the child was gone. Sure she had been ordered to protect the girl, but there was a deeper reason for Kaorin coming to her aid. The girl reminded her of the sister she had lost, so long ago.

"I need to get stronger." No one relied on her anymore, and she had just failed the only person who did.

"Damn it," said Kagura, "Where did that Celosa go?"

After the pink haired Arrancar had disappeared Kagura had tried to follow her. The other Arrancar had disappeared as well, but if she remembered correctly there were still ten of them. _It's too bad Kaorin isn't here_, thought Kagura, _she's better at sensing spiritual pressure than I am._ Kagura knew that her foes had to be nearby, all she had to do was wait.

"Ha, ha, ha!"

Eight Arrancar rushed up from below. Kagura seemed to stand still as they surrounded her. Then the image of her body vanished into the night. The eight monsters shook their heads in confusion, no human could do that to them.

"Take care of them."

"Certainly."

The Arrancar turned around to see someone standing above them in the moonlight. Her mouth was twisted into a wry smile as she looked down at those who stood in her way. They trembled as she descended, soon they charged at her with a scream. With a single swipe of her sword she bifurcated the entire mob.

"I just hope that she knows what it is she's doing," said Kurosawa as Kagura rushed off into the distance. "Cleaning up her messes isn't exactly on the top of my to do list."

Kagura rushed towards the center of the city, something was over there. The girl saw her rival standing in the moonlight. Her pink hair and red eyes stood out on her corpse like face. One hand was grasped tightly around the collar of Chiyo's shirt. The demon smiled as Kagura jumped down onto the street.

"What are you doing with her?"

"So you want to play?" asked Celosa, "I can't believe that you got here so quickly. Especially when I think about how slow you were when you fought against Ulquiorra."

"Who?"

"The Espada with green eyes," said Celosa, "You're no match for him, and no match for me."

"Espada?"

"We're the strongest of the Arrancar," Celosa informed her, "Compared to us, every other hollow is trash."

"So that's why you threw away those Arrancar who came with you?" asked Kagura, "Because you think that they don't matter?"

"Exactly," said Celosa, "They're easy to replace." The monster raised her right hand. "Now it's time for you to die. Don't waste my time with resistance."

"Shut up."

"Oh, struck a nerve did I?"

"I said shut up!"

As Kaugra's blade neared Celosa, a small object entered her field of view. _No_, thought Kagura. It was Chiyo. Kagura's blade stopped, an inch away from her friend's throat. Celosa smiled, before lashing out with her arm.

"Gah!" screamed Kagura as she flew backwards into one of the sky scrapers that lined the cityscape. A cloud of concrete erupted from the spot where Kagura rammed into the building. Celosa set Chiyo down, right before a black and red wave rushed towards her.

"This is more like it." Celosa appeared next to Kagura. The two of them sparred, trading blow after blow. But one was just toying with the other. Celosa loved to play with her food.

"Just die!" screamed Kagura, releasing another energy wave.

Celosa blocked it with her sword. "Foolish human. You can't defeat me."

"And why is that?" asked Kagura.

"I'm an Espada," Celosa said with a smile, "We're simply on a different level than humans are."

"You can say that all you like," said Kagura, "But when I kick your ass and knock you to the ground you won't be so high and mighty."

"Shut up." Celosa smacked Kagura aside. "You're not as strong as you think." A strange blue light gathered around Celosa's left hand. "Just try to hold on, Kagura." The cero was then released.

An explosion filled the air. "It's a good thing that I followed you here." A man stood in front of Kagura. When he turned around, his face was covered in a mask, as white as bone.

"Who on Earth are you?" asked Celosa.

"It's funny you should ask," said Satoshi, "But who I am doesn't matter." The man vanished.

_Where'd he go? He's to the left!_ Celosa blocked the sword, but only just. _Impossible, he's stronger than I am!_

"I'm surprised that you could keep up with me," said Satoshi, "But I won't make the mistake of holding back twice." A yellow light surrounded Satoshi's blade. "I've seen your cero, and it's nothing compared to mine."

A yellow wave of energy engulfed the Espada. Kagura pushed herself up off of the ground. Chiyo rushed over to her. Satoshi shifted his mask to the top of his head. Celosa rose back up into the sky.

"You used your cero to weaken my own," said Satoshi, "A smart move, but it won't matter that much." Satoshi slashed off her arm, before destroying it with another cero. "You can't defeat me, not without some sort of miracle."

"Is that so?"

Satoshi turned. In front of him stood a man with a white face. His green eyes seemed to pity Satoshi. In his right hand he held onto the child. _Who is he? Is he another Espada?_

"Come Celosa, we're done."

"You're not going anywhere."

"You won't be able to defeat me," said Ulquiorra, "You're not strong enough."

He turned his back on Satoshi and began to walk away. Celosa followed her superior. The two of them passed through a tall gateway. The portal slowly closed as Ulquiorra looked back at the two of them, Chiyo Mihama in his arms.

"Chiyo!" Kagura screamed as they left. "Damn it!" she cried. "I wasn't strong enough, how can I become stronger?"

"I can help you," said Satoshi, "All you have to do is trust in my guidance. I can give you peace of mind."

"Anything," said Kagura, "Anything to become stronger. I have to become the strongest, I have to become strong enough to destroy anyone that harms me or my friends!"

"Then come with me," Satoshi's mask dissolved into a yellow and black energy. "I can make you stronger than you ever thought was possible."

The two of them vanished into the night. As the moon continued to shine onto the street, a sound continued to play. It was a sad noise. The crying of a girl whose trust in the world had finally been extinguished.


	3. Getting To Hueco Mundo

"I need to ask you a favor Kaorin."

"What is it?"

"I need you to get me into Hueco Mundo," said Kagura.

"What?" asked the woman, "Why do you want me to take you there?"

"Come on!" The teenager slammed her fist against the wooden table. "You know why!"

Kaorin gave a sigh. Shadows moved behind the thin paper walls. She ran her fingers through her short black hair. She looked at Kagura, shaking her head.

"You can't do anything about that."

"Of course I can!"

Kaorin seemed to deflate slightly when her friend said those words. "You remember what happened last time. While you could handle the weaker hollows with ease, that Celosa has consistently been stronger than you are. And she isn't even the strongest Espada. What will happen to you if face one of them?"

"What are you saying?" asked Kagura, "Do you really think that I would go there alone?"

"Rescuing Chiyo Mihama was strictly forbidden by the Head Captain him—"

"Is that so?" A dark look came into the girl's eyes. "What happened to the old Kaorin that I knew? The one who would do anything to help those she loved?"

"That Kaorin grew up, maybe you should do the same."

"You've turned into a coward," said Kagura, "That's why you don't want to come to Hueco Mundo with me."

"Look," Kaorin leaned back slightly, her mouth curved downwards. "Even if I wanted to get you into Hueco Mundo, I can't."

"Then get me into the Soul Society," said Kagura.

"Why on Earth would you want to go there?"

"Squad Twelve."

"Huh?"

"If there's anyone who can get me into Hueco Mundo," said Kagura, "Then it's a member of Squad Twelve, the department of research and development."

"No." Kaorin got off of the mat. As she pushed open the door she paused. A light sniffling caught her attention. She turned around to see Kagura, tears in her eyes.

"Please. I only want you to do one thing. You don't have to go with me," Kagura told her friend, "But I can't get there on my own. Please."

"Fine, fine. If you're gonna be that way about it I might as well go with you."

"How can you say that?" she screamed. "One of our friends is being held by demons, and you don't even feel the need to go to her aid?"

A slight pressure pushed against Kagura's chest. Kaorin looked at her friend. Her face now had a dangerous look.

"Don't you ever say that again, you don't understand me at all."

"I sure don't," Kagura quipped, "In the past you wouldn't have hesitated to go with me."

"If you want to go to Hueco Mundo so bad," Kaorin spat, "Maybe you shouldn't insult the people who can get you there." She slammed the door behind her.

"Damn it. Hey Kaorin, wait up!"

The Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen sat in the bright sunlight. The heat of the day didn't help her mood. She was extremely bored.

_We're supposed to be readying ourselves_, she thought. _So why is it that we just sit around, waiting for our foes to come to us?_ The idea had plagued her ever since Nguvu had left the Soul Society, taking two other Captains with him. The woman simply didn't understand how the Head Captain could sit there and do nothing. _Doesn't he realize that we need to stop him?_

"Lieutenant Takino!"

"Yeah?" She had expected her subordinates to interfere with her private thoughts.

"Someone wishes to speak with you ma'am."

"Oh really?" asked Tomo, "Who is it?"

"It's me."

"You're here Kaorin?" The Wildcat was surprised. "I thought you were supposed to be protecting someone in the world of the living. That Mihama girl."

"That's why I'm here Tomo," said Kaorin, "You still friends with Lieutenant Mizuhara?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I was wondering…."

_What?_ A familiar face stood in front of Tomo. _I can't believe it. The most famous person in the entire Soul Society, the Substitute Soul Reaper._

"…How would you feel about going to Hueco Mundo?"

The Wildcat grinned. "Sounds like a plan, when do we leave?"

"Today. We just need to get someone to take us there."

"Then you came to the right person," said Tomo, "I can get us there no problem."

"How will you do that?" asked Kaorin.

"I'll just get Yomi to do it." Tomo smiled, "That nerd can do anything, except get herself a date."

"That's not a very nice thing to say Tomo," said Sakaki. "What if your friend heard you?"

"Then she'd know about the areas she needs to improve in." Takino and the Lieutenant of Squad Two smiled at each other.

"Do you two know each other?" asked Kagura.

"We've known each other ever since we entered the Soul Reaper Academy," Sakaki told her. "She, Koyomi, Kaorin, and I all graduated in the same year. I'm going to Hueco Mundo with you."

"What?" said Kaorin, "You're going to risk losing everything to go with us?"

"Of course," said Sakaki, "There's no one in the Soul Society that can make me stronger. The only place where I can fight a powerful enemy is in Hueco Mundo."

"So you're only coming with us to get stronger?" asked Tomo.

"No," said Sakaki, "You'll need someone to protect you two, and Kagura might have her hands tied at some point."

"I can look after myself," said Kaorin, "I am a Lieutenant after all."

"I don't mind," said Tomo, "Let's just head over to the department of research and development. We'll definitely find Yomi there."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Kaorin.

"She's a total dork, where else would she spend her free time?"

The sound of people rushing to and fro filled Kagura's ears. Giant computer monitors and test tubes filled the entrance. Everywhere she looked, Kagura could see people wearing thick glasses. One in particular caught her attention. A brown haired individual that seemed to be supervising a group of white coated scientists. _Is this her?_ She couldn't see the person's eyes through the thick glasses she wore.

"Hey Yomi."

"That's Lieutenant Mizuhara!"

"Alright fine _Mizuhara_, we need your help."

"Why is that?" asked the woman.

Tomo leaned towards her. "We need a way into Hueco Mundo. And I think that you can get us there."

"Well I can't. Now if you'll excuse me," the woman turned around, "I'm in the middle of showing these bunglers how to perform a simple experiment."

"I knew you couldn't do it," said Tomo.

Mizuhara paused. She turned around, an angry expression on her face. "What makes you think that I can't do it?" The Wildcat had a dangerous smile on her face. "You dare to mock my abilities?" asked Yomi.

"It's pretty obvious that it can't be done, at least not by you."

"It's so simple!" said Yomi, "I can get it done in no time!"

"Can you get it done before lunch?" asked Tomo.

"But, there's, there's so little time before the start of lunch and—"

"Simple huh?" asked Tomo, "I bet you couldn't do it before lunch is over."

"We'll see." The woman rubbed her hands together, a creepy smile on her face. "Oh we'll see who has the last laugh!" yelled Mizuhara.

"Whatever," said Tomo, "I'll just wait outside."

"By the time you get a drink I'll be done!" exclaimed the mad scientist.

Kagura left the building as Yomi rushed off. Where the bespectacled woman was headed, Kagura had no idea. Yet she had a feeling that there would be even more thick glasses wherever it was.

As Kagura stepped out of the department of research and development, she shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. A strange mumbling caught the girl's attention. Underneath one of the tall oak trees, the sound of drunken shouts could be heard. Unfortunately the drunkard happened to be a Miss Takino.

"Hey you!" Her words slurred together into one. "Is Yomi done yet in there?"

"How did you get yourself drunk?" screamed Kagura.

"Oh shut up," she angrily spat, "It's not my fault that I was thirsty."

"No," said Kaorin, shaking her head from side to side. "However it was your fault that you kept a container of alcohol tied around your waist."

"It's only for parties," said Tomo, "But I'll be fine in a little while, really, hic."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Kaorin, as her friend walked into a tree.

"Just as long as I use up all this booze before we go into monster land," said Tomo, "Even I'm not reckless enough to do that."

"Oh man," said an irate Kagura, "Where did Sakaki go?"

"The Lieutenant of Squad Two went to get something," said Kaorin, "You really need to defer to us by our rank, Kagura."

"Oh shut up. If I didn't do that the first time I met you, I'm definitely not going to do it now," said Kagura.

"How long will it take her to finish up in there?" Tomo stumbled into Kaorin.

"Gross," said the black haired woman, "You smell awful."

"It's not me," she hiccupped, "It's this." Kaorin sighed as her friend held up an empty bottle. "I love to party," she said, leaning into her friend. Kaorin backed away and Tomo fell onto the ground.

"I see you two have been wasting time," said Sakaki.

"Fine," said Tomo, "Let's go see if nerd pants has finished."

"I just finished it," said Yomi, "This is how we'll get into Hueco Mundo."

A small device sat in the middle of the floor. Its polygonal shape surprised Kagura. She had been expecting something more like a circle.

"That's great," said Tomo. The Wildcat had a strange smile on her face. "Now can you undrunk me?"

"I can't do that," said Yomi.

"Everyone knows that you can't do that," said the drunken Lieutenant. "I can't believe I ever asked someone like you to help me. The fifth seat is the one I should have asked. I hear that Kiske is—"

"I do have a cure!" Yomi shoved her hand into Tomo's mouth.

Kagura was shocked as she watched Tomo gasping on the floor. "It's so sour, and bitter, and spicy all at once!" The Wildcat hacked and coughed. For the next five minutes she coughed onto the floor.

"I think we're ready to go." Takino rose off of the floor. She turned to face Mizuhara, "Will you be joining us?" Her speech no longer slurred.

"No I'm not," said Yomi.

"It's because your device doesn't work isn't it?" said Tomo. "You're afraid to use it aren't you?"

"No I'm not," said Yomi, "The things I make always function properly."

"Liar," said Tomo, "Why else would you be afraid to go with us? You're such a coward and a failure as a scientist. No matter how much you idolize your nerdy Captain, you'll never be as good as he is."

"It does work!" The bespectacled woman fiddled with a series of knobs and dials. The device slowly began to open up. A black and gray spiral appeared underneath the metal cover. _We're supposed to use this? It doesn't look very safe._ Kagura noticed that Yomi was standing right next to the device, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Hey you," said Kagura, "Glasses lady. How thick are those glasses, all I can see is a light blue where your eyes should be."

"That's because I placed a blue film inside of each of the lenses," said Yomi, "That way no one can see my eyes. Not only that the film also blocks UV light and is even polarized, keeping down glare."

"They're also half an inch thick," said Tomo, "If you ever lost them you might as well be blind."

"Let's just get going," said Mizuhara.

One by one the five of them jumped down into the hole. Kagura watched as Yomi, Tomo, Kaorin, and Sakaki plunged into the black swirling mass. Finally it was her turn. Taking a deep breath she stepped in.


	4. The Invasion Begins!  Two Espada Attack!

"Huh, I guess it didn't work out quite as well as I had planned." Yomi looked around at the sands of Hueco Mundo, all alone. "I'm surprised that my device was so inefficient, it seems as if we've all been separated. It's quite a pity." The woman looked at the blue sky overhead. "I was hoping to see how strong everyone had become. But I guess I'll just have to find them first. Such a pain."

Yomi heard a strange sound. She turned to see a strange creature, it almost looked human. But it had an eerie mask, like a skull.

"I am Arrancar number 34, _Perro Negro_." The creature placed a hand on the hilt of a zanpakutō. "You, intruder, are about to die."

"As if," said Yomi, adjusting her glasses, "Now be quiet so that I can find my friends all right Arrancar?"

"How dare you insult me!" Perro Negro cried as Yomi looked around. "I am a very fearsome opponent!"

"Shut up." Yomi gave the 34th Arrancar an irritated glance. "If you want to keep living, I suggest you be quiet."

"Soul Reaper, you're so arrogant!" The Arrancar pulled out his zanpakutō. "You think that we Arrancar have no ability?" His feet shifted. "Then for your arrogance you will die!" The blade plunged towards the girl with a—

Clang.

Yomi blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Honestly now." She had captured the blade in her hand. "Do you really expect that since I came to Hueco Mundo, where hollows are strongest, that I would be weak?" The Arrancar shuddered as Yomi pushed the blade away with her hand. "You were so rude."

A flash of light and blood filled the air.

Yomi turned towards a new threat. It looked like the Arrancar that lay dead by her side, slowly dissolving away. With only one difference. This Arrancar had an eight tattoed on his face.

"Hello Soul Reaper. I see you were shocked by the fact that I killed that worthless sack, how touching. I am Espada Number Eight. My power is greater than any of the Arrancar below me. I'm afraid that your place in the invasion has come to an end."

"Hmm, I wonder why I'm all alone."

Sakaki looked at the empty desert in front of her. She didn't know where everyone had gone, all she knew was that all of her friends had disappeared. She hoped that they were okay, Hueco Mundo was supposed to be filled with danger. But she was nearly strong enough to be a Soul Reaper Captain. She merely hoped that everyone besides Kagura would be all right.

_That sound, it reminds me of flash step!_ Sakaki turned to see a sword plunge towards her. Sparks filled the air as the weapon was blocked with her zanpakutō.

"Soul Reaper, I am an Arrancar. I have come to kill you."

"I won't let you," Sakaki reached her hand into her uniform. A second sword was stabbed straight into the Arrancar. "You underestimate my power, I have a sword which is made up of two blades." The first sword pierced the right side of the Arrancar, now a sword was embedded into the top right and bottom left of the hollow. "You're dead." Her wrists twisted and two fluid movements separated the blades from the Arrancar's body, cutting the hollow in half. Sakaki placed her swords back inside of her Lieutenant's uniform with a sigh.

The sound of another flash step filled her ears.

"Soul Reaper, you are about to die." The Arrancar showed Sakaki the palm of her hand, a seven was tattoed into his skin. "I am an Espada, the Seventh Espada. I am more than a match for any Soul Reaper. You can't survive!" The Espada slashed at her.

"What?" Number Seven had been sure that Sakaki had been standing in front of him. "Where has she gone?"

"You are faster than that last Arrancar. I have no doubt that the Espada are a much greater danger. But you aren't anywhere near fast enough to cut me. Sorry."

"You _tonta_, thinking that I, an Espada, can't even lay a finger on you!" The Espada slashed at her again. "The hell?" Sakaki held onto his wrist.

"Gyuah!" The Espada's mouth leaked blood as a fist planted itself into his stomach. "Nwha!" The hollow crashed into a nearby tower, a cloud of dust filled the air. Sakaki breathed calmly.

"I'll rip you to shreds!" the Espada rushed out of the rubble, zanpakutō slashing. Sakaki dodged every last swing with grace.

"You're too slow."

"Hawoagh!" Blood sprayed out of the Espada's mouth as an elbow crushed the back of his head. "Do you really think it would be wise to continue? I am one of the most skilled Soul Reapers in all of the Soul Society. I am about to be made into a Captain. Even without using my sword, I can rip your body apart with ease. You should stop. You won't die that way."

"You bitch," he coughed out a red, slimy liquid, a mixture of blood and bile. "I still have the ability to move. No Soul Reaper can ever kill me!"

The air shook as the Espada screamed. Sakaki felt her skin tingle as her opponent's rage filled the air.

"Haough!" The Espada's face fell into the sand, overwhelmed by pain.

Sakaki took her foot off his back. "You're starting to irritate me Espada." Sakaki kicked him in the back again. "It is apparent to me that you are very powerful. In fact I'm impressed that anything other than a hollow of the upper level of the Menos class could even have this much spiritual pressure, at least in Hueco Mundo. If you prove that you can become more powerful than this, I will have to kill you. I can't leave something as dangerous as you alive to hurt my friends."

The Espada turned his head towards Sakaki. "Are you really that arrogant?" he screamed, "an Espada of my level is more than powerful enough to kill a Captain! Now you've pissed me off you stupid bitch!"

The Espada's hair ripped around as his body glowed with Spirit Energy. A pillar of light rose up into the air, before being replaced by an explosion.

Sakaki watched a cloud of black smoke ascend into the sky, a strange laugh at its center.

"Now see my true strength, _Gigante!_" The Espada's shape had changed into that of a huge bone white figure. With a roar the behemoth swung a fist down at Sakaki.

"What? You blocked that with your arm?"

"No," said Sakaki, as the figure loomed over her, "I used my left hand."

With an angry scream the Espada raised his arms over his head. "I'll crush you like the maggot you are!"

A foot planted itself in his jaw. Blood dripped from the Espada's mouth as his fists caused sand to shoot up into the air. Another kick sent him flying into another pillar.

"You are strong Espada, but you are not powerful enough to kill a Captain. I cannot allow you to live though, those as powerful as you are have the strength to hurt my friends." Sakaki held one of her swords over his injured body. "Good bye, Espada Number Seven." And the blade plunged down towards the heart of Nguvu's servant.

"I just hope that I can find my friends quickly," said Sakaki as she rushed off into the desert. "I don't think anyone other than Kagura and myself can stand up to an Espada."

"Tell me," said Espada Number Eight, "What did you come here to do Soul Reaper?"

_I can't believe how much Spiritual Pressure this guy has, it's crazy!_ "I just came here because my friend asked me to."

"That is a terrible reason to die," said the Espada, pulling out his zanpakutō. "Now bind, poison and slither _Serpiente_."

Yomi gasped, as a blade slashed towards her neck. 


	5. Yomi vs Espada Number 8

Steel flashed and Yomi flew backwards. Her body slammed through a wall into a dark room. She lifted her head up to see the sunlight along the floor replaced with a shadow. The Espada slithered towards her, a venomous smile on his face. A spear with a razor sharp tip rested in his left hand. The rest of the creature's body was a long reptilian tail that twitched in anticipation.

"That's better," the Espada told her as his white scales scraped along the floor towards her prone frame. "When ever I'm in my Resurección I prefer to fight in confined spaces. All the better to use my wonderful tail to its fullest extent."

The spear zoomed towards Mizuhara. She rolled to avoid the point which buried itself into the floor. Yomi watched as concrete sprayed outward as the Espada readied the spear again.

"You are faster than you were before," the Espada's fangs glistened, "that'll make this much more entertaining."

"I'm not going to like this," Yomi pushed her glasses back up her nose, "I can tell that right away." She held her zanpakutō out, pointed towards the ground. "Hide from the hunter _Keijō Shifutā!_"

She vanished. The Espada merely laughed. "Are you at all familiar with what a snake is?" he chuckled, "we don't rely solely on our eyes to find our prey. Some of us can sense the body heat that an animal we are hunting gives off. I can do the same thing with your Spirit Energy. Even if I can't see you with my eyes, I will find you. It's only a matter of pointing myself in the right direction. And now," the Espada's tail coiled around an invisible object, "your luck has run out!" The spear swung down delivering a sickening splash.

"What the heck?" asked Kaorin, "where is everybody?" Being separated from everyone else was quite a pain, especially being separated from her idol Sakaki, not that she really made a big deal about it. "I just hope I find them all soon," said Kaorin, "it'll be kinda lonely without my friends nearby."

"Heh heh heh. You are a tricky little thing aren't you Soul Reaper?" The Espada's spear had pierced the heart, the heart of a mannequin. "I'm quite impressed by your little doll that was able to replicate your Spiritual Pressure enough to fool me. But since I blocked off the exit with part of my tail, there's little doubt that I will find you."

_Dammit this guy, he's a crafty little Arrancar isn't he?_ Yomi tried to think of something to use against him. She'd brought a number of gadgets and devices with her to Hueco Mundo. She just didn't know which of those items would be helpful against the Espada in front of her. _This thing can slither and crawl but, unfortunately, it's too fast for me to slip around. So maybe I should work on that first? I have just the thing._ Yomi pulled a small vial out of her uniform.

"Why are you standing over there? Are you busy trying to think something up, Soul Reaper?" The Espada's tail twitched, dangerously. "I'm bored."

The long appendage shot its way towards her. Yomi let the bottle drip out a green fluid onto the floor. The tip of the Espada's tail grazed the mixture and became stuck.

"How annoying. You really think that a sticky mess can impede me?" The tip ripped away the floor that the liquid had attached itself to.

A glint of light made his eyes dart towards a sharp blade, hovering inches from his face. "Die." The blade shot towards his skull.

"Hmph." The Espada bit down on the tip of the sword, laughing heartily. "There is no way for a Soul Reaper of your caliber to have even a chance of cutting my skin."

The Espada slashed at Yomi. Red droplets fell from her body as she lay on the floor. The spearhead slammed down beside Yomi's glasses.

"You aren't all that powerful Soul Reaper, you never should have come to Hueco Mundo." The demon slashed Yomi with his claws. "Now how will this end?" the Espada asked. "How should I finish you?" He pulled the spearhead out of the ground, destroying a wall in an overzealous display of his strength. "I'm going to place my steel into your belly," he hissed, "and when I do that your organs will be slashed with vital fluids dripping out of them onto the floor. It'll be horribly painful for you and a pleasure for me to watch!" The spear came down.

Clang.

A spiked shield blocked the spearhead. Yomi shuddered, turning her head towards a figure blackened from the light outside. The shield shot back towards the figure as it stepped into the room.

"It's a good thing I showed up, you were on the end of your rope there Yomi."

The shield spun towards the Espada, buzzing like the blade of a reciprocating saw. He slashed it away with his spear. The _doomg_ of flash step turned his head.

"You got cut up pretty bad," the new arrival helped Yomi to her feet, "what happened?"

"That Espada caught my zanpakutō in his teeth! The shock I felt gave him an opening to hit me with his bladed spearhead. It smarts."

"You really need to think things through more.

"Shut up Tomo."

"Oh go to hell, I just saved you!"

A spear slamming into the wall behind them ended their friendly reunion.

"You pest," the serpent hissed. The tail whipped around Yomi in an instant. "Now I'll crush you like the insect you are!" the Espada laughed.

"The hell you will!" Tomo pointed her palm at the demon's face. "Hadō 31, Shakkahō!"

A red explosion enveloped the Espada's face. "What did you do? That burned!"

"Bakudō 61, Rykujōkōrō!"

Golden light slammed into the Espada. His body twitched and his tail shook but he was unable to do anything else. "What do you think you're doing you midget?" the Espada yelled at Tomo, "what the hell did you do to me? When I get out of here I'll—!"

"Shut your damn trap you stupid Espada! You think I'm afraid of some wannabe snake?" Tomo began to spin the strange spiked shield in her right hand. "As long as my blade can cut your skin and my Kidō can burn your flesh, I don't see any reason to fear you!"

Tomo threw the weapon at the Espada again, the very sound slicing the air in two. The Espada let out a scream as his tail fell to the floor. Blood poured out of the stump as Yomi struggled out of the flailing coils that had been separated from its master.

"You stupid Soul Reaper!" Tomo saw cracks form along the rectangular lights of Rykujōkōrō as the room began to shake from the Espada's Spirit Pressure. The monster's stump of a tail shot out a final bloody cloud, leaving behind a new tail. The Espada's restrictive Bakudō shattered into dissolving shards.

"Now it's time for you two to die!"

The spear slashed at Tomo. She pulled her weapon back into her hand, blocking the Espada's blade.

"I'm getting sick of you!" she cried. She wrapped the blade of the spear in a chain before yanking the spear out of the Espada's hand.

"You annoying child! How can one Soul Reaper be such a nuisance?"

The Espada shut its mouth as Tomo threw her zanpakutō at it. He ducked as the bladed shield passed by, taking the tip off of his nose.

"You're about to die!" he screamed, grabbing the chain with one hand. Tomo smiled. "What the hell are you so happy about?"

"Think of it this way, Espada. If you're holding onto that chain," she yanked the steel back, "you're gonna get sliced up!"

_What?_ The Espada saw the saw blade become bigger and bigger.

_Slice._

Blood ran down the Espada's arms as he braced his hands against the slicing disc.

"Too bad Soul Reaper," the demon chuckled, "You couldn't cut me in half after all!"

"Don't you remember?" Tomo seemed unfazed by the fact that the Espada held her zanpakutō in its hands. She continued to mock him. "Don't you remember how many Soul Reapers you're fighting?"

Doomg.

The Espada felt something standing on his shoulders. A panic turned towards Yomi. She slammed her zanpakutō through its head, not wasting time with words.

"These guys are tougher than I expected," said Tomo, "how are we supposed to find everyone?"

"Don't worry," her friend told her, "I have a nifty little device for this."

Shapes began to emerge from Yomi's hair. Tomo shrank back.

"Wha-what are those things?"

"Tracker Beetles," said Yomi, "I developed them myself. They analyze reishi to find things."

"Ick! They're so gross! You had those things in your hair?" she asked, as the beetles' shiny bodies crawled about the room.

"Well I certainly wasn't going to put then inside my uniform, not enough space."

"But they're bugs, and huge!"

"Do you always have to be so loud? Sometimes you're the weirdest person I know Tomo."

"Well I have a way to find them, and it's not as nasty!" Tomo sat down. "Bakudō 58, Kakushitsuijaku." A blue orb hovered in front of Tomo. "Um," she turned towards Yomi, "how do you work this thing again?"

Kagura dragged her way out of the sand. The moon hung overhead as she shook sand off of Zangetsu. The only thing that she could sense was a small entity nearby. She saw what looked like a child sitting on a rock.

_Are there supposed to be people here?_ "Uh hey, kid." She noticed that the boy had a strange mask on top of his head.

"D-don't kill me!" he shrieked, bawling as Kagura stood there in confusion. "You Soul Reapers kill hollows like me!"

"You mean 'like myself,'" said Kagura, "and relax, I'm not gonna kill you." She stared at the small creature as his sobbing slowly ebbed.

"T-then can I go with you?"

"Whoa what?"

"It's scary here! Arrancar are everywhere!"

"Settle down will you? You can't go with me."

"Then you're leaving me to die!"

"Please stop crying, you...can come with—"

"Really? Yeah! I'm Lucas!" he said, wrapping his arms around Kagura's left leg.

"I'm Kagura and do you have to do that?"

"Sorry," he let go. "Where are you headed anyways?"

"To find where Nguvu is keeping my friend, plus—"

"What? You're going against Lord Nguvu, are you insane?"

"No, where do I find him?"

"That giant castle," said Lucas pointing at the building, the shape of which was impossible to ignore, with a finger.

"Huh, how did I miss that? Oh well," said Kagura setting off towards it, Lucas timidly following, hidden within her shadow. 


	6. Kagura and Lucas Plus Chiyo's Powers

Moonlight caused the dunes of the desert to cast eerie shadows onto the world of darkness that made up the desolate land. Every footstep made a shy sound of shifting sand that the natural silence quickly smothered. Every second seemed to say that a life here was an eternity of loneliness. Kagura wondered how anything could survive in Hueco Mundo. Especially—

"Are we there yet?" Lucas screamed.

Kagura thought her ears were about to bleed. "What was that for?"

"I'm tired of walking." He jumped onto her shoulders. "I need a piggyback ride 'cause my feet are tired!"

Kagura sighed as the boy, who was really a young hollow, sat on top of her shoulders. _Ow, his knees keep jabbing into my back. Why am I carrying this thing anyways?_ Her feet trudged through the sand as quickly as she could, without hitting a bump, those would cause Lucas to scream about falling over; he would cover her eyes and pull on her hair screaming about falling off. Kagura suddenly wondered why Lucas was so friendly, especially if the Arrancar were all created by Nguvu.

"Hey Lu—" A foot slunk into her mouth.

"Faster horsey, faster! This is the first time I've ever ridden a girl!"

"Okay that does it!" Kagura gripped the boy-car by the scruff of his neck. "Just what the Hell kind of kid are you? You're not my type!"

"Lucas was all alone until you came," he sobbed, "I was so afraid that Nguvu's scary Espada would try to eat me!"

"What kind of kid even talks about 'riding' girls anyways, you perv?" Kagura shuddered as she thought about that weird friend of Minamo's Kimura, now there was a perv. "Wait a minute. Shouldn't Nguvu's castle have some sort of defense built in or a guard or something?" And then Kagura remembered her original question. "And aren't all Arrancar created by Nguvu?"

"No, Lord Nguvu only created the strong Arrancar. We Arrancar have always existed somewhere in Hueco Mundo. I've been alone so long—it was so scary!"

"Whah!" screamed Kagura as Lucas tackled her to the ground. "Don't be so grabby you little creep!" Kagura smacked him. "You're walking from now on!"

"How can you be so mean to me!" Lucas cried, "you're leaving me here to die!"

"Die?" Kagura looked around at the empty landscape. "What are you gonna die of?"

"Exposure!"

"You've lived on your own forever! You're not gonna die of exposure out here, and who said I was leaving you to die anyways?" She shook her head. "You may be a perv and a creep but I'm not going to leave a little kid out here with all these monsters hanging around." She smiled. "I mean what kind of person would I be if I did something like that?"

Lucas sniffed. "So you'll carry me?"

"Like Hell you creepy little perv! I'm not letting you get near my boobs ever again!"

Lucas screamed that Kagura was yelling at him all the time. Kagura pleaded with the boy to be quiet in as gentle a voice as she could manage. But her patience was being worn thin by Lucas and his antics. She hoped that his screaming would attract Kaorin or Tomo, they were good with kids. And she was just about to smack the kid once more.

"Why are you always so mean?" Lucas' voice was a lot like Tomo's could sometimes be.

Kagura's brow shifted as her teeth clenched. "If you keep up that damn crying I'll get a lot meaner, real quick. So why don't we keep that from happening?"

"_Who goes there?_"

"What the Hell? A hollow finally shows up?"

"Th-tha-that's _Arena_, he's the guard that keeps people out of the castle, Las Noches! He's a giant hollow made out of sand!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What kind of enemy is named, and made of, _sand?_"

"_You dare to enter the castle Las Noches? I cannot allow that. Lord Nguvu gave me specific orders to keep out all who dare—_"

A blue light sliced through Arena's head. The sand that had comprised his form fell to the ground.

Kagura placed Zangetsu back into it's bandages. She yawned as the weapon was slung across her back again. "So what else is ther—"

"You used a sneak attack!"

"What?" Kagura asked, infuriated, "I was standing right in front of him, that wasn't a sneak attack!"

"_How dare you! Not even admitting to a sneak attack!_"

"Does anyone here know what a sneak attack is? Don't make me beat you down again you weird, weird enemy!" Then Kagura realized she could just use flash step to get around him. Arena wondered where the two had gone but he knew that with the Espada inside of the castle these guys were dead. The Espada were unstoppable killers and the lower the number on one's body, the more deadly that Espada was.

"Kagura I'm tired!"

"Will you please be quiet? I am so sick of hearing you cry about everything."

"I'm just scared and tired, why are you always so insensitive?"

"Insensitive? All you think about is yourself and _your_ problems!"

"I am so tired!"

"Grr, annoying little pest. Why do you want to come with me anyways?"

He looked up at her. "Because you're pretty!"

"What the, pervert!"

"Tell me," Ulquiorra began, "where are Espadas 8 and 7? Did you kill them Celosa?"

The pink haired woman looked at the pale man-like being. His green eyes made her shiver with anger, because they held no respect for her. She nearly spat in his face.

"What the Hell makes you think I had anything to do with their disappearance you bastard?"

"It's just that the last Espadas 9 and 10 were found slashed apart with your Spiritual Pressure hovering around the area," the green eyed being's black lips reminded Celosa of blood that had been left to sit on the ground.

"Don't try to anger me," Celosa told him, "you don't want to know how frightening I can become."

"Please," Ulquiorra told her, "you over estimate your abilities. Remember your rank, Espada Number Six." He walked away, leaving Celosa growling in anger.

"That freak," she hissed, "how dare he try to scare me? Humph!"

"Now, now, you're afraid of Ulquiorra's power aren't you? How saddening."

"Shut up you filthy ape!" Celosa's eyes narrowed. "Do you want me to cut you to ribbons?"

"Oh I'm sorry, _Number Six_, did you just try to intimidate me?"

"Why don't we settle how useful that 5 tattoed to your chest is?" Celosa's teeth bared. "We could settle the score once and for all."

"That sounds like a plan to me. You're missing an arm anyways." The Fifth's wicked laugh made Celosa want to kill.

A pair of footsteps caught the twos' attention. "Excuse me Espada Number Six, but Lord Nguvu wishes to speak with you. He said that he's found a way to restore your power."

"That's excellent news, then I can really fight at the top of my game again. I'll see you soon, _love._"

The feeling in the air began to make Celosa's body become more and more alive. All of the Spirit Energy in the whole of Hueco Mundo seemed to reside within the inner confines of Las Noches. This was where the top Espada lived, as well as the leaders of the Arrancar, Nguvu and his defective Captains from the Soul Society. Two large white doors stood before Celosa. A deep creaking told her that she was being asked to come inside. Celosa knew better than to risk refusing Nguvu's hospitality. Her quick steps into the chamber were the only trace of fear she allowed to show. It was all that her pride would allow.

"Welcome Celosa," Nguvu's deep, dominant voice made her bow. "I have a cure for your ailment." A small whimper filled the air. "I believe that you remember Chiyo Mihama. And the reason I wanted her here is because she has unique abilities. Now Miss Mihama, would you care to help restore her arm?"

Chiyo whimpered as a pink light enveloped the space where Celosa's arm should be.

"What?" Celosa saw her arm begin to appear inside of the pink space. "What is she doing?"

"I planted a unique device inside of Miss Mihama," Nguvu explained, smiling, "and that, along with her unique abilities, was why I wanted her brought to Hueco Mundo. Now aren't you happy that you helped bring her here?"

Celosa stretched her fingers. She felt an indescribable joy fill her very being. "Now I'm back up to full strength. I'll show that annoying Saiyamo just who deserves to be Espada Number—!"

Celosa felt her body fall to the ground, gasping for air her frame shook.

"Just shut the Hell up Celosa," an Espada smiled wickedly, "do it before I crush that pretty little head of yours underneath my feet!"

Celosa felt the weight lift off of her body. She quickly stepped out the door as the voice laughed like a hungry demon.

"Oh dammit," said Kaorin, "just where the heck is everybody?" She was lost at this point. It had been hours and she'd felt her friends' Spiritual Pressure, except for Kagura's but she still hadn't found any of them. She heard two sounds fill her ears. It reminded her of flash step, but there was a difference to the notes that were left in the air.

"A Soul Reaper, here?"

Kaorin turned to see two Arrancar standing behind her. One of them had a 9 tattoed onto his forehead. "My Fracción and I are here," the Espada spat, his body a wrinkled mess. "Circle and land upon the doomed, _Vuitre_."

"And." The other Arrancar pulled out his zanpakutō. "Scream, _Aguila_."

Blasts of Spiritual Pressure whipped past Kaorin as giant shadows stirred within the sandstorms that her adversaries had vanished inside of. A foul stench filled the air as giant wings beat away the clouds of dust. Kaorin placed a hand on the hilt of her zanpakutō. A deep laugh filled her ears, like dirt and decay.

"Are you ready to become our food?"

"Go to Hell, bankai!"

A silver light filled the air. And then the battle began. 


	7. Kaorin and Weak Espada

Billowing gusts shot sand and grit across the quiet sands. The bright sun over head illuminated three giant shapes, three pairs of wings. The thunderous claps and scaly haunches of two vile avians hovered, ready to destroy their target. A lone silver form rested in the thermals that ascended from beneath. The graceful wings, the slender legs, the long, thin beak. Kaorin's bankai was a giant crane, as silver as the moon. She sat atop the elegant sword, holding a thin blade in her hands.

"You guys are nothing!" she yelled at the Ninth Espada and his Fracción. The winged beasts replied with an angry screech and a sharp dive.

The first one missed the bankai. The crane had lifted its wing out of the way. A rush of passing air blew Kaorin's bangs into her eyes. She pushed the strands away—just in time to see the other bird-like monster swoop in.

The angry cry of the carrion eating fiend was squashed. The crane had caught the demon's head with its foot. The vulture struggled against the braced leg. With a single powerful kick the crane sent the enemy careening backwards. The vulture-like Arrancar struggled to right itself; within moments of hitting the ground the monster righted itself.

Kaorin swept the air with her eyes. The crane shot upwards to avoid the talons of the false eagle.

"You are an annoying Soul Reaper," said Espada Number Nine. A dark colored energy formed in the center of his left claw. "Feel the wrath of my Cero!"

"You're doing what?" Kaorin asked. A dark violet beam shot towards her. "Tsuruko, up!" she cried. The crane rushed towards the sun.

"Just as I suspected!"

Kaorin's face became blank as she saw the Espada hovering above her. The enemy's cruel beak shot down towards her heart.

Kaorin blocked the deadly weapon with her zanpakutō. The air filled with the sounds of two wills grinding against each other, neither willing to yield. "Did you really expect me to lose so easily?" Kaorin was insulted. "I'm a Soul Reaper Lieutenant! I can take on more than a couple of hollows!"

"Don't be so arrogant Soul Reaper," the Espada screeched, "there is little hope for you against my Fracción and I."

"Tsuruko, slash!"

The crane's bill stabbed down, through the head of the Fracción. The winged monster hung limply as its body slowly disintegrated into a hazy, black cloud.

"I guess this means you're toast you stupid Arrancar!" Kaorin shouted at the remaining Espada with a smile spread across her face.

The Espada cackled in response

"You foolish Soul Reaper, do you understand the difference between the strength of a Fracción and that of an Espada?" He didn't wait for her to reply. "A Fracción is weaker than the weakest Espada. If a Fracción were to be ranked on the same system as an Espada then it would have a rank of 11." The Espada continued to laugh.

"So what?" snapped Kaorin, "that means that the difference between you and that Fracción was only two levels, if that 9 tattooed to your wing is any indicator of your strength!"

"Tell me Soul Reaper, does a small difference in the numerical rank of an opponent necessarily mean that there is almost no difference in strength?" The Espada watched as a look of concern spread across his foe's face. "Now I think you begin to understand." There was a brief trembling in the air that caused Kaorin and her crane-like bankai to shudder like reeds swept up in the rage of a hurricane. "The difference between a Soul Reaper Captain and a Lieutenant is only one rank. Yet; the difference in power between the two is almost impossible to believe. A Captain has the power to shatter a Lieutenant's zanpakutō with a single thrust of his hand. That's only a difference of _one_. Imagine how deadly an Espada is compared to a Fracción."

"So what?" snapped Kaorin, trying to banish her fear, "I blocked one of your attacks already! You can't stand up to me!"

"Are you sure, child?"

"If I can't, then why are you hovering so far away from me?"

The young Soul Reaper felt reassured by the distance between her and the vile thing she had to kill.

"You should always be razor sharp, observant," the Espada preached, "otherwise you'll miss a terror from below."

Kaorin glanced down quickly, raising Tsuruko up in the same instant. Her vision darted across the entire space beneath her. Nothing.

"Or from behind."

A _doomg_ filled her ears. Her black hair slowly drifted in front of her eyes as her head turned. It then eased away from her face enough that she saw a white uniform standing behind her.

A bright flash sliced through Kaorin's black uniform. A red spray flew up into the air. The woman fell onto the back of her sword. A rush of air filled her head as she fell into the sands of Hueco Mundo.

A pair of large feet tread in the sand behind the still body of Kaorin.

"I'm surprised that you couldn't handle a single Soul Reaper on your own. I can't believe someone as weak as you was made into Espada Number 9," the large Arrancar scoffed.

"Quiet 10, I was doing fine before you showed up."

"Humph," the brown haired Espada remarked, "your release is ugly."

"Is this the one that cut your arms off of your body?"

"No. That one had brown hair. This one," the Espada raised his sword over Kaorin's still frame, "I don't care what she is, she'll die easily enough." The blade glinted in the sunlight.

"Don't you think that I should be the one to kill her?" asked Espada Number 9, "you should really give the pleasure of dispatching her to me."

"Fine."

The Espada's sword slid back into the sheath in a single fluid, crisp motion. He began to walk away from the still body of Kaorin.

"Now you will perish, and," Espada Number 9 hissed as he raised his sword over her quiet frame, "you never even came close to rescuing that little girl." His arm plunged down.

A slash from the right side of the Espada split his body along a bias. His confused face fell, along with half of his body, onto the hot sand. The Tenth Espada behind placed his hand on his sword. But before he could even draw the weapon his hand was severed at the wrist. His eyes jerked up. There was only one thing to see. A lone black shape, which stabbed its weapon straight through his heart.

A tall black figure hovered over the prone body of Kaorin. Sakaki.

_Looks like I was a little too late_, the woman thought to herself, _at least to keep her from getting beat up a little._

Luckily for Kaorin; before Sakaki had become the Lieutenant of Squad Two she had been a member of Squad Four. Squad Four served as the emergency relief unit and specialized in providing medical aid to injured combatants. And Sakaki had been the second best, right below her former Captain.

"Ugh," moaned Kaorin, "what's going o…." At this point her voice cracked. _Ms. Sakaki, and I, are alone?_ She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her throat swell up. The smooth gentle feeling of her Soul Reaper uniform being pulled up, away from her body. Kaorin started to gasp and gasp in lungfuls of air as she looked down and saw her bare skin begin to show. Then she felt Sakaki's hand against her. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she passed out.

With the wound on Kaorin's left side exposed Sakaki then began to bandage it. She swore that Kaorin had been conscious for a few moments, but she was definitely out now.

_I remember the last time I had to do these sorts of things. Back when I was the runt of the entire Soul Society._

She thought back to her early days at Soul Reaper Academy. The training there hadn't been very uplifting. In fact she had failed at everything. The four arts of Soul Reaper combat: Kidō, Hakuda, Hohō, and Zanjutsu, she'd failed at each of them during the academy training. Due to her seeming lack of ability she had been placed into Squad Four, considered the weakest of all the Court Guard Squads. She'd found herself to have some ability to do medical work. And as the years went by her tutelage under the Squad Four Captain made her into a skilled battlefield medic.

One spring day Sakaki had been walking within the Soul Society carrying supplies in her arms. She'd had difficulty seeing past the boxes and bundles and she'd bumped into someone. The Captain of Squad Eleven.

"S-sorry, Captain. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Hmm," she'd heard the Captain say, "you're part of Squad Four right?"

"Yes, Captain, Captain…." _What's the name, how could I have forgotten the name of a Captain?_

"Kurosawa." That had earned Sakaki a smile. "It seems to me that you've bitten off a little more than you can chew with these items. Would you like some help?"

"Oh, that's okay, Captain. I can carry these boxes easily enough on my own. You don't have to trouble yourself."

"If that's true, then there shouldn't be a trail of boxes that fell off onto the ground." She'd then grabbed a few of the boxes off of the top of Sakaki's pile. "These are heavier than they look."

"They're not so bad," Sakaki had mumbled, "I often have to carry these for the other squad members. They sort of, rely on me."

"Really?" The Captain paused for a moment. "Can you sense Spiritual Pressure?"

"Yes…at least when I focus."

"Can you throw this box through that wall over there?"

"I don't think the box would hold up, it's—"

"Trust me on this," said the Captain, "I bet the box will hold up, but if you don't feel confident, try it with your fist."

Sakaki didn't do anything for a moment.

"Come on."

"I don't know, Captain. I don't think I can do it."

"If you can then you'll be able to move on, but if you can't you'll be the workhorse forever."

There was a sudden voice in her head. It sounded velvety but determined. A voice that was cold and confident. "_You don't want to be treated like a dog forever? Do you Sakaki?_"

_No_, she thought to herself. Her hand tightened into a fist. _I never wanted to be a pack animal._

With a single touch the entire wall exploded into a cloud of rubble. Sakaki blushed in embarrassment. "Well," said the Captain, "I never expected that to happen." Sakaki began to pick up the boxes that had fallen onto the ground. She felt a hand grab onto her shoulder. "I think that you have a lot more potential than was previously believed. It shouldn't be hard for to you to excel in your squad. I just don't think you've gotten the right kind of stimulation."

But she was still considered weak by the other squads.

And one day that was almost her undoing.

It had been a dark summer night, she'd been walking by herself. There had been things that the squad had wanted to get completed in a nearby area. A fight had broken out and she'd been one of the members tasked with healing the most badly injured. Now she was on her way back to the Seireitei, the place where Soul Reapers lived within the Soul Society. Little light made its way to her along the path though up ahead she could see a few dark figures stumbling towards her. Sakaki slowed her pace slightly as the figures came closer and closer. They made grumbling and unhappy noises as they trudged along the walkway. Eventually she realized who they were. Members of Squad Three, and they were drunk.

"Who the hell is that in the middle of the damn road?" asked one of the men, the Squad Three Lieutenant.

"She looks like a Soul Reaper," muttered an unbalanced subordinate, "but she doesn't have a zanpakutō." The man had trouble not falling on his face.

"Dammit, my head. Why are we going this way Lieutenant?"

"Shut up!"

He marched up to Sakaki. She shrunk down slightly as the taller man stood in front of her. It was frightening to have a drunken man a foot taller than her looking like he was going to hit her in the face. She gulped.

"Who do you think you are?"

Sakaki shrunk even more.

"That's it." There was a flash of steel. The drunken Lieutenant held a zanpakutō in his right hand. "If you won't answer me I'll cut you down to size!" His slow swing was easy for Sakaki to dodge. "Damn." The man grabbed something out of his uniform. He chewed it, swallowed. "Now," he said with a smile, "with my motor skills restored, you'll be bloodied with ease."

" Lieutenant, what are you—?"

"Shut up! I'm going to cut this rebellious vixen in half!"

His sword lunged towards Sakaki in a bright streak. She turned her head, losing only a lock of hair. She quickly jumped backwards. The sword slashed through the fabric of her arm, somehow missing her skin. He slashed his zanpakutō down again, slicing through the lower portion of Sakaki's Soul Reaper uniform, she managed to escape injury again.

The sword rested at the Lieutenant's side. His face had an angry scowl. "How do you keep dodging my attacks? If you really are from the Seireitei then you'd have to be one of those Squad Four losers. Which means you couldn't possibly be able to dodge me. Still, once I get used to your speed my zanpakutō will slice you to bits." He pointed the tip of his blade towards her face. "It'll be easy."

"_Listen to me_," said a voice inside Sakaki's head, "_are you going to lose to someone like him?_"

_But how can I fight him?_ she thought, _he's a Lieutenant and I don't even have a zanpakutō_.

"_If you listen to me, Sakaki, I can give you what you need to destroy anything that threatens you. Can you tell me what I am?_"

Sakaki thought for a moment.

_You're my power. And I command you to come out._

"_It sounds like you've finally grown a spine_._ Now_," Sakaki felt something inside of her uniform, "_you can block his sword_._ And the next time I try to tell you my name, I hope you can hear me_."

"You're going to die," said the Lieutenant, "and I'll make it happen." He started to run towards her, his sword raised high. "This is the end for you!" The blade came down. To kill.

It stopped. Sakaki had his arm in her hand, and he was being crushed.

She stood up, she had been kneeling on the ground like some sort of frightened child. Now as she got to her feet, she was taller than her attacker.

"You think you can kill me?" she asked him, "don't make me laugh. You couldn't even give me a single scratch. You tried to push me around. I find that irritating." The Lieutenant's body shook as the air filled with Spiritual Pressure. "Now," her right hand reached inside her uniform, "why don't we see which one of us is stronger?" She pulled out a zanpakutō.

The Lieutenant broke away and managed to leap away, before his right arm gained a light scratch. A single droplet of blood dripped down from the wound onto the ground. He growled in anger.

He slashed at her, only to get a chunk taken out of his left shoulder. Blood sprayed out of the wound. He backed up. And got a cut to his lower right leg. He quickly fell to a knee. He looked up to see Sakaki standing over him.

"Looks like the one who will die today, is you."

After that incident she had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant of Squad Four, since there was little doubt she was stronger than anyone short of the Captain.

"Kaorin?"

"Huh?"

"Kaorin, are you awake?"

"Gah!" Kaorin quickly sat up. "Sa-Sakaki! Wha-what happened to me, the Espada, the—?"

"It's okay, they're dead."

"They?" asked Kaorin.

"You were attacked by another Espada from behind, he gave you a deep wound. After I killed both of them I fixed up your side." Kaorin looked at the white bandage on her lower abdomen. She then blushed immensely.

"You took off my-my—?"

"I had to get to the wound."

Kaorin's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell over.

Sakaki rolled her eyes at what happened.

"I'll never understand that girl."

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Lord Nguvu built this not too long ago, so we must be getting closer to…the entrance."

"Okay, and when you're riding on my back, do you have to plant your feet in my chest?"

"It's more comfy there."

"You bastardly little creep!" snapped Kagura. "I'm starting to hate having you around!"

"You don't have to yell at me!" cried Lucas.

"Argh! Your stupid screams make my ears bleed! Dammit, why can't you just not be creepy, annoying, or infuriating for just a minute? You've been driving me freakin' crazy all day long!"

"But the moon is out," said Lucas, "so that means it's night."

"The moon is always out! This is Hueco Mundo, there isn't a sun!"

"There is inside Las Noches," said Lucas, "Nguvu made the ceiling generate light so that it looks like day inside of the castle."

"Then why on Earth is it named _night?_ And why is everything in Spanish anyways?"

"You're funny."

"Why you little!"

"But if we go in the front entrance," said Lucas, "we'll be killed!"

"You really think that I'll try to sneak into the enemy stronghold from the front?" asked Kagura, "what do I strike you as, an idiot?"

"Kinda."

"Gah!"


End file.
